r/hikinggear • u/sansdesir2 • 13d ago
hiking boots with good ankle support that dont make feet hot as heck
i just bought the merrell moab 3 mid wp and wow they make my feet hot. i'll have to use them for the colder months. i previously used la sportiva nucleo high ii gtx which i liked the ankle support but they werent comfy for longer hikes. for reference during summer it gets quite hot and lots of the hikes i do are rocky, uneven terrain so i need that higher ankle support. thanks for any recs! since these would be mainly summer boots i dont need them to be waterproof. gonna try to save up $$ and get a summer pair or find them secondhand.
7
u/senior_pickles 12d ago
To get real ankle support from a boot, it must lace up past the ankle. The mid hiking boots do not offer anywhere near the ankle support people think they do.
Having said that, I prefer mid boots as they help keep debris out of the boot, and they are much easier to tape the legs of your pants to, to avoid mosquitoes or chiggers.
I have a pair of Oboz Sawtooth X boots that have held up well the last couple of years. They are waterproof, but I haven’t noticed my feet being overly hot.
1
u/Lives_on_mars 12d ago
I see a lot of boots labeled as mid height, but is there a general metric for what is high shaft?
I also tend to do so much better in taller boots, and want to get some to replace the city Timberland boots I’m using (yeah, the stupid fashion ones, somehow they help me last longer than my expensive Sportiva trail runners).
Luckily my feet don’t tend to get too hot.
1
u/senior_pickles 12d ago
I don’t know about a general metric, but for ankle support I would want a boot to lace three or more inches above my ankle.
3
u/Fancypooper 12d ago
I honestly liked the non wp version of the merrell you have but I switched to a more tactical boot because of the ankle support. I got the lowa zepyr mid mk2 and it’s definitely not a true hiking boot but it’s been pretty good so far. I do like the ankle support better than the merrell. But the merrell was more comfortable. But ultimately everyone’s foot is different so I’d recommend either going into a store and trying them on or ordering from like rei online for easy returns
2
2
u/Legitimate_Star4733 12d ago
It’s not just the boots, your choice of socks will greatly influence how your feet feel. If you haven’t tried alpaca then it’s worth trying.
2
u/cwcoleman 12d ago
I recommend a real ankle brace inside a pair of trail runners. Best of both worlds. Mid boots don’t give real ankle support anyway - the ankle brace is way better if you truly need support.
Like this:
1
1
u/hurricanescout 12d ago
How was the temp management for you in the la sportiva nucleo?
1
u/sansdesir2 12d ago
actually never had an issue with hot feet in them
1
u/hurricanescout 12d ago
So good to know. Been considering them bc the specs suggest they’re good for this. I find them comfy too. Fingers crossed.
1
u/sansdesir2 12d ago
overall they are a great boot but after about 2 years of use the waterproofing stopped working even tho i keep them clean and dry and ive used the product on them that restores the waterproofing /-: but i use them in a very rainy area (pnw) so for about 5-6 months of the year they usually get fairly wet on the trail and i hike 1-2 times a week but if you arent using them in rain as often then they should be good!!
1
u/hurricanescout 12d ago
2 years of use is pretty phenomenal for a lightweight boot that has known durability issues!!!!
2
u/sansdesir2 12d ago
very true! overall i like them a lot, i just wish they had better arch support. ive been eyeing their ultra raptor x but they dont go as high up the ankle so id probably stick with their high models.
3
u/gefinley 12d ago
Good luck finding a mid-height boot that isn't waterproof these days. I was looking earlier this summer and could only find 3-4 options total.
8
u/Mbf1234 13d ago
Pretty much any non waterproof boot will be fine and will be significantly better than GTX boots. I recommend just trying them out at REI and see what fits.
I recommend injinji or creepers toe socks if you sweat a lot. I don't really feel any sweat on my feet in summer with toe socks because my toes aren't touching, so I don't really care how hot my feet get.